Alside Windows Reviews And Prices

Read Alside windows reviews from consumers and contractors to find out more about their products, prices and costs, as well as their customer service record. Use our window cost calculator for additional project pricing information.

Editor’s Alside Windows Reviews

Alside is owned by AMI, a huge building and construction company. Alside is a pretty popular window manufacturer, although they are not considered one of the top tier producers. One of the biggest knocks against Alside is the use of their snap sill in which the weep holes drain water through the frame itself and then out. The issues can crop up in year 6, 8, 10 etc. when dirt and moisture get trapped inside the frame and can result in mold and debris inside the window frame. The company has always defended the design (which other companies also use), but lots of contractors and installers say it’s not ideal. We should point out that neither the Mezzo or the Sheffield uses this snap in sill.

All in all, the company makes an okay vinyl window in the Mezzo. The Ultramaxx is considered a very decent vinyl window. Those would be the two models I would consider in my house. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be putting an Aside in my house, unless I couldn’t find any of the better window manufacturers out there.

Bradey – Site Editor

Editor’s Alside Mezzo Review

The Alside Mezzo Series is a “newer” model from the company, although at this point it’s 7 or 8 years old. Essentially, its the Excalibur model with a better sill on it. The Mezzo isn’t quite as bulky as the Sheffield and therefore gives you a bit more glass, which most people like for obvious reasons. In general, Alside makes an okay window, and the Mezzo is a definite improvement over the Excalibur.

The Mezzo isn’t the best vinyl window by a long shot, but it’s a decent mid range option if the price point is right. Of Alside’s product line, I’d go with the Mezzo if no other top tier vinyl windows were available in my area.

Bradey – Site Editor – from 2017

Alside Sheffield Window Reviews

My wife and I installed Alside Sheffield windows last year and they are already leaking air, which is really awful in the winter since the house now feels cold and drafty. These new ones are almost as bad as our old windows. I’m trying to figure out if it is the windows or the guy who installed them (licensed contractor). I have been trying to get him to come back out and take a look, but he is stalling big time and obviously has no interest in making the situation right. Our neighbors replaced their windows Renewal By Andersen and they seem to have no issues with them.

Alside Excalibur Review

I have installed lots of Alside Excalibur windows throughout my life and consider these to be some of the best. Having said that, I think there are two other important things to concentrate on — good installation and making sure that the dealer that you buy the windows from offer fast and customer-oriented service. The Alside Excalibur warranty only covers labor if there is a defect in workmanship and only for a year. One thing people seem to miss is that a warranty is really for the window maker themselves, not the buyer. That is why you see a list of exclusions to all of these “lifetime warranties.” Lots of warranties are actually voided if the windows are installed incorrectly — so installation becomes extremely important. Also the dealer that you pruchase from will be the ones you are dealing with if something goes wrong. Make sure they have been in business from at least 5 or 10 years and treat their customers well.

Dave – Window Installer – Bay Area from 2010

Importance Of Air Infiltration

From my own experience and from an air infiltration (AI) perspective, I think the Alside Excalibur has both a poor design and not manufactured all that well. In the lab, its AI numbers are good (not great), however once installed I have found then to be leaky (much worse AI numbers) because of poor production quality. It’s one of the reasons that I think AI can be misleading for consumers – they can vary significantly from lab to the real world.

Tony – Industry Insider – from 2010

Pricing Information

Alside vs. OKNA

I have been reading lots of forums that critize the Alside Excalibur windows in favor of the OKNA 500, but from what I can tell OKNA windows are about double the price of the Excalibur. It looks like I can get the Excalibur with installation for $300, which sounds pretty reasonable to me. Sure, the OKNA is probably better but is it twice as good?

Steven – Consumer – from 2010.

[Response To Steven]

Steven, I would answer that you usually get what you pay for. Down the road in 5 of 10 years, you could run into issues with warping in the vinyl sash, causing air leaks from a bowed frame. At that point, you would go to Alside who may even cover some of the cost of replacement windows but they certainly won’t cover the install cost. Unfortunately, high quality windows come at a price. You just can’t get around that.

Advice Needed

I am in the process of replacing some of the windows in my home and had the Apex salesman here to give me a quote. They can in reasonably priced, in my opinion, at $628 per window and then an additional $80 for grids and an extra $40 to chance the frame color. I am not that clued up on windows, so I tried to get as much information as possible about the windows I was quoted on. Apparently they are double hungs with triple panes and an argon fill. The salesman also told me they are ClimaTech TG2, triple A rated with an R-7. Finally they come with an intraspace system and solar band 60 which is coated on two of the panes. From what I understood from the meeting Alside will do the installation, but the windows are Apex? Now I am really confused as to which company is the manufacturer and if this is a good choice to go with.

Fred- Consumer – from 2010

[Installer Response]

My recommendation to all my clients is to take your time and do your homework on all the windows available in their area. The salesman you had at your property wanted to make a sale, but it’s essential you take a look at everything else these windows have to offer to determine if they meet your requirements in term of performance and visual appeal.

A good way to make a decision is to look at your return on investment in the long run, especially when purchasing an energy efficient window. Take a look at the double glazed windows with a U value of .29 and compare those to the triple pane with the U value of .25, which one is the better deal in the long run? In response to your question on whether you are dealing with Apex or Alside windows, Alside manufactures the Apex brand.

John – Installer – from 2010

Homeowner Advise On Alsides

I replaced all 20 windows with Alside windows in my town home about 5 years ago and I am very pleased. There isn’t any draft and I live in DC, which obviously gets VERY cold in the winter and HOT in the summer. Maryland General Contractors did the installation; they used foam around all the replacement windows and capped the frame with aluminum cladding (no exterior painting needed). I don’t know much about windows but, having gone through the procees, I think it is key to purchase a good product and then have a REALLY knowledgable contractor install them for you. My two cents…